HC directs AP to limit movie ticket hike to 10 days

Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to limit the permission granted for hiking ticket rates to 10 days, instead of 14 days, for films including Balakrishna's Daaku Maharaaj and Ram Charan's Game Changer. The interim order was issued on Wednesday.

A two-judge division bench, comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi, heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Guntur-based Arigela Srinivasulu. The PIL challenged the state government’s memo permitting filmmakers of the two movies to increase ticket prices for the first 14 days after release.

The petitioner’s counsel, G. Siva Prasad Reddy, argued that the previous government’s GO 13 allowed a hike in ticket rates for only 10 days for films with budgets exceeding ₹100 crore. He contended that the present government’s memo permitting a 14-day hike was contrary to the earlier GO. He further alleged that the permission was granted due to the political connections of the actors—Balakrishna, who is the brother-in-law of the Chief Minister, and Ram Charan, who is the son of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan's brother, Chiranjeevi.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court directed the state government to restrict the ticket price hike to 10 days, in accordance with the earlier guidelines.